Sam Smith MTV’s 2014 best artist

London - Sam Smith has beaten Beyonce and Taylor Swift to be voted the best artist of 2014 by MTV US. The 22-year-old singer, who has gone from strength to strength after landing the Critics Choice prize at the Brit Awards earlier this year, was picked by MTV executives in America for the top prize, rounding off his amazing year.

‘Thank you so much MTV for making me artist of the year. This honour completely puts the cherry on the cake of such an incredible year. I am so thankful and appreciate all of your support,’ he said. Amy Doyle from MTV credited Sam’s ‘raw vulnerability with emotionally charged vocals and songs that chronicled universal heartache,’ and said he ‘re-defined the concept of a modern day pop star.’

The award came after the Stay With Me star received three Grammy nominations. Sam is only the fourth artist to receive the distinction of being the network’s best artist of the year, following in the footsteps of Miley Cyrus, Katy Perry and One Direction. This year, Beyonce took second spot, with Taylor Swift, Iggy Azalea and Ariana Grande rounding out the top five.

Iggy’s hit song Fancy topped the list for MTV’s best songs of 2014, ahead of Nicki Minaj’s Anaconda and Taylor’s Shake It Off, while MTV’s best movie of the year was The Lego Movie, featuring the voices of Chris Pratt, Will Arnett and Elizabeth Banks. Boyhood came in second place, followed by Marvel’s Guardians Of The Galaxy, tearjerker The Fault In Our Stars and Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes. The lists are selected by MTV executives based on influence and pop culture impact.